Strolling around SoHo, on our way to Cendrillon, we passed by Balthazar, a huge restaurant and its takeout bakery next door. We popped into the bakery and viewed a mouthwatering array of sweets and breads on offer that late afternoon made us incredibly hungry. We didn’t purchase anything at that point and headed off to our early dinner instead. After dining at Cendrillon, we decided to skip dessert there and instead returned to Balthazar to pick up some pastries which we planned to consume back at home. The Kid picked out four desserts that evening…
An absolutely delicious fruit pie, in this case, plum and photographed on one of my sister’s stunning dessert plates…
A raspberry clafoutis tart that was superb…
A flourless chocolate cake that was a tad dry, perhaps having been made earlier in the day…
And a sugar donut which at 60 cents seemed like an utter bargain. We didn’t know it at the time, but Balthazar apparently discounts 
its pastries in the evening to ensure that all of the baked goods are sold on the same day and they start anew the following day. Were we lucky or what? For the four desserts we paid just $10.95 and it was all packaged up in a stunning and sturdy box and a nice paper bag! And with the exception of the slightly dry chocolate cake, the pastries were fantastic. Coming from the $230 dinner at Cendrillon, this $10.95 bill was totally worth it! Balthazar Boulangerie et Patisserie, 80 Spring Street, New York, Telephone 212.965.1785.
5 Responses
Thanks for this tip. Will make sure to visit this place when we go this fall. I’ve been coming back to your site to pick up tips on where to go in NYC. Thanks again.
Those featured pastries are nice but we do better now in the Philippines. I always read Lori’s dessertcomesfirst.com. She has a compilation of beautiful and fantastic pastries, cakes and other desserts in the Philippines. I’m proud of our bakers, breadmakers, and other cooks and entrepreneurs who are developing a good taste in bread and pastry making. Kudos to all chefs, bakers and entrepreneurs in the Philippines. Your expertise is up and beyond standard. You deserve praises and accolades. I also praise our Paete cooks and Kapampangan cooks. They are very famous all over the world.
MM, you’re hitting all the “Zaggat” and “NYBestRestaurants” recommendations. Balthazar’s is a famous hang-out in Soho, where at times you’ll bump, bump, bump, into the rich and sometimes famous, waiting in line or standing at the often crowded bar. It’s quite popular at all hours of the day, their menu simple, wine list extensive, and desserts definitely yummy! Once, the wait was over an hour and a half; but you can browse the adjacents stores in Soho so the wait doesn’t become difficult. Have you checked out other Keith McNally eateries, ie: Pastis, Schiller’s, Lucky Strike, while you were in Manhattan? NYC has so much to offer.
MM, you have great spider sense. When you walked into Balthazar, you actually walked into one of nyc’s most well-known bakeries/brasseries. When you are back in nyc, you must eat at the restaurant… if you can get a reservation. Gotta say, you sure have a nose for the good things in life! First Payard, then Cendrillon, now Balthazar… my guess for your next nyc post: Magnolia cupcakes :))
Myra, I actually bought the Balthazar cookbook last year and loved it…so I had a reason to visit the restaurant. As for foreshadowing my future posts… heehee, wait and see…